Blogs

By Ari Probandari, MD | World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, observed March 24 each year, calls attention to the disease as one of the world’s oldest and deadliest. The date commemorates the 1882 announcement by Dr. Robert Koch that he had discovered the cause of the highly infectious disease: the tubercle bacillus. Under the theme, “Unite to End TB,” advocacy groups are intensifying efforts to reach the World Health Organization’s (WHO) goal to eliminate the disease by 2030.

By Enrique Delgado | The impact of tuberculosis (TB) on people and communities worldwide is obvious in frightening statistics, revealing that close to two million people die each year from a disease that is preventable and treatable. Those numbers don’t tell the full story, however.

The reality is that tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne disease; anyone can contract it. Read about her firsthand experienced with TB when she was diagnosed with TB in 2011 and drug-resistant TB in 2012 and her efforts to call attention to the prevalence of TB that causes so much suffering in her home country, South Africa.

When people in West Africa started dying from Ebola, communities had no idea what was killing them. People resorted to rumors and allegations of foul play, such as the damaging claim that Westerners created the virus to combat population growth. This only exacerbated the problem and fueled stigma against those affected by the disease. It was a classic example of the fallout from weak public health institutions and a lack of education around the health threats that the region faced.

By the time you read this I’ll be home from Liverpool, in the north-west of England. where last week, on behalf of RESULTS Australia, I attended the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (‘The Union’). The 47th World Conference, addressed a wide range of issues affecting adult and child lung health including air pollution, pneumonia, tobacco control -- and, of course, tuberculosis (TB). Global scientific gatherings like this -- over 3000 people attended -- are, as you’d expect, very much about new biomedical discoveries: in bacteriology, immunology, drugs and diagnostics, disease prevention, patient care and links between TB and diseases such as HIV and diabetes. So this got me thinking: what is the role of advocacy at a scientific conference?

The world, irrespective of country, region or race should work together to fight TB. Infectious diseases know no borders and can travel widely. We need to step up the fight against TB globally and also develop new vaccines and treatments.

From Parliamentary events and Ministerial announcements to TB champion media tours and grassroots engagement, ACTION partners had a very eventful World TB Day. Read a full round-up of World TB Day here.